Manufacture of surgical bandages carrying plaster of paris



NOV. 20, 1934. J WE 1,981,607

MANUFACTURE OF SURGICAL BANDAGES CARRYING PLASTER OF PARIS Filed Aug. 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jerome We/lss NOV. 20, 1934. J, ss 1,981,607

MANUFACTURE OF SURGICAL BANDAGES CARRYING PLASTER OF PARIS Filed Aug. 16, 1932 2 Sheetsheet 2 INVENTOR Jew/me We/ss BY HIS ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES MANUFACTURE OF SURGICAL BANDAGES CARRYING PLASTER OF PARIS Jerome Weiss, New York, N. Y.

Application August 16, 1932, Serial No. 629,001

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of surgical bandages carrying plaster of Paris or other similar composition. Such bandages, which are usually made up into rolls, are used for preparing plaster casts. Prepared commercial bandages of this nature are often unsatisfactory because of uneveness in the tightness of winding. Further, it is desirable that the surgeon have the bandages wound as tightly, or as loosely as required to suit his individual technique. The same holds true with respect to the quantity of plaster with which the bandage is loaded. Loosely wound rolls of loaded bandage are hydrated throughout more quickly than tightly wound ones and lightly loaded bandages result in a more flexible plaster cast. Hydration is irregular and often incomplete in unevenly Wound bandages.

It is an object of my invention to control the tightness of winding. According to my invention, the strip of bandage or crinoline is pulled through a pile of plaster by being wound on a roll, the pull for this being a function of the depth of plaster in the pile above the bandage strip and also of the extent of the pile of plaster longitudinally of the strip. In other words, the greater the quantity of plaster above the strip as it passes through the pile, the greater will be the pull developed and hence the tighter the winding.

It is a further object of my invention to control the heaviness of loading of the crinoline strip with the plaster. This is accomplished by varying the inclination or slope of the strip of mineline after it passes out of the pile of plaster and before it is wound into a roll. If this slope be flat, much of the plaster caught by the crinoline strip when passing through the pile of plaster, remains on the strip and is rolled up with it, resulting in a heavily loaded bandage. On the other hand, if this slope be steep, much of the plaster will fall off the strip before reaching the place where it is rolled, resulting in a lightly loaded bandage.

Another feature of my invention is the initial threading of the individual lengths of crinoline strips through the machine after the machine has been filled with the plaster. I employ a threading tool, functioning much as an ordinary needle used in sewing, the end of the crinoline strip being passed through the eye of my tool, just as thread is passed through the eye of a needle. The threading tool, with the end of the crinoline strip in its eye, is threaded through the pile of plaster already placed in the machine. There is one important difference, however, between my threading tool and an ordinary needle, and that is that my tool is resilient and undergoes considerable flexing in passing through the machine for a purpose hereinafter specified.

, Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study of the description and drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of themachine showing astrip of crinoline partly pulled through by the threader, no plaster being in the machine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine, as"

in Fig. 1, with part of the sidewall broken away and a pile of plaster shown in the .machine';

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the machine with the supporting arm and winding spool in the position shown by solid, lines in Fig. 2' and with a bandage partly run through the machine. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the: machine with the supporting arm and winding spool in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2', and with a bandage partly run through the machine,

and Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section through the threader near its head showing how the end 88 of the bandage strip is locked in place by the plaster. v

The machine comprises sidewalls 6 held in' relative position by staybolts 7, the outside of the bolts being provided with nuts {land the inside with nuts 9 at each side wall. Extending between the sidewalls are guide rods 1'0, 11, 12,13; 1 and 15. The inside of each sidewall is provided with a plate 16 equal in extent to the side wall. Plates 16 are provided with holes cor-re sponding to the ends of guide rods 10' to 15in'c'. Plates 16 are fastened to the sidewalls by glue and bolts 1'7. Below guide rods 10 to 15 inc. and held in place between sidewalls 6 in a-similar manner, is a curved sheet metal plate 18, curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward. Sheet metal plate 18 fo'rms'the floor of the plaster receptacle of whichsidewalls 6 are the sides. l p

Supporting arm 19 is pivotally mounted upon a sidewall 6 by bolt 20. By means of wing nut 21, said arm can be set in Various positions for a purpose hereinafter specified. Fastened to the upper end ofarm 19, by means of 'nuts' 22 is a metal sleeve 23. Spool 24 is rotatably mounted upon sleeve 23 by means of shaft 25, said shaft being fixed to one end of the spool. Shaft long enough, so that when mounted in sleeve 23, it will extend sufficiently beyond outer nut 22 to provide a mounting for cra'nkarm 26, set screw 27 being adapted to fasten said arm to shaft' 25.

The c'rinol'ine strip 28 (Figs. 3 andfl') is'wo und upon spool 24 when said spool is rotated, said strip unwinding from the ensuin roll 29 at the right of the machine. Strip 28' passes up from roll 29 over upper right stay bolt? and then'over the right hand end of curved plate 18. The strip passes then under guide rods l5, 14, 13, 12, 11 and 10 and through the pile of plaster 30; The guide rods are'so locatedas to cause strip 28 to pass I of .the stripv28 in the pile is made large.

through substantially the bottom of pile 30. Clips 31, which may be ordinary clothes-pins, are used on upper right stay bolt 7 to maintain strip 28 in alignment on its way through the machine.

The relative positions of guide rods 10 to 15 inc. to each other, tocurved plate 18 and to spool 24 is such as to keep strip 28 down in the pile of plaster, to control the slope of the strip between said rods and spool 24 and in certain positions of spool 24 to scrape oif the plaster from the strip as it passes from the rods on its way to said spool.

I have discovered that the tightness of windthrough. When it is desired to have a tight roll,-

the average depth of pile 30 above the portion By u'sing'a shallow depth for pile 30, a loose roll is obtained. The frictional force of the plaster resisting the pulling through of the strip is greater, the greater thedepth of the pile above the strip, resulting in a greater pull at spool 24 during the winding. Also for any given depth,

the greater the extent of'the plaster longitudinally above the strip, the greater the pull. 7

When spool 24 is in the position shown in Figs. 1

and 3, the slope of the portion of strip 28 between pile of plaster 30 and said spool is fairly flat.

With this slope, a considerable amount of the plaster remains on the strip when it reaches the spool. Once the strip with the plaster on it reaches the spool, the winding of the strip entraps the plaster in the roll. on the other hand with spool 24 in the position of Fig. 4 (dashed lines Fig. 2), the slope ofthe portion of strip 28 between pile of plaster 30 and said spool is steep.

The steepness of the slope causes a considerable portion of the plaster, originally adhering to the strip when it leaves the pile, to fall off and return This results in a lighter loading of It is thus to the pile. plaster than for the slope of Fig. 3.

, seen that I can control the amount of loading s1 and 32 (Fig. 2).

Spool 24 is provided with a slightlyinclined longitudinal hole ending in a shallow well 34. A pin 33 is adapted to be inserted in said hole and when fully inserted, its point projects out from well 34. This construction is provided for positively gripping the end of strip 28 when placed upon spool 24 beforesai'd spool is. rotated for winding the loaded bandage thereon. The end of the'strip (not shown) is laid over spool 24 and pin 33 inserted until its point projects through well 34 and into the strip. This construction has the further advantage, that when it is desiredt-o loosen the winding of analready wound loaded strip, the spool can be turned in an'unwindingdireotion while the outside of the roll is gripped by the hand. Pin 33 is withdrawn sufficiently to clear well 34, when it is desired to remove the completed bandage from spool 24.

An important feature of my invention is the threading of individual strips of bandage through the pile of plaster, with the plaster already in place in the machine before the introduction of the bandage. I load strips of crinoline cut to the required length before insertion into the machine. This obviates the cumbersome mechanism necessary, where a continuous strip is sent through the machine, which strip'is cut to required length after being loaded and rolled as in Patent No. 1,289,912 to Riely. It also eliminates the need of emptying the plaster out of the machine each time before introducing a strip, where strips cut to length are used, or of trying to push the strip through the plaster by hand. I employ a, resilient, curved, T shaped threader 35, preferably of sheet metal, except for the bar 36 at theeye 37 in its head. Before inserting threader 35 into the machine, the forward end of strip 28 is looped through eye 3'7 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) turning back the end of the strip about bar 36. Eye 37 is made sufficiently long to hold strip 28 out flat. This is all that is required to hold strip 28 to threader 35, for assaid threader is introduced into the machine, the plaster interlocks about the end of the strip and fills eye 37, thereby holding said strip to the threader. It is a characteristic of unslaked plaster of Paris that the particles grip or interlock with each other giving rise to certain amount of coherence to masses of the dry powdered plaster. The normal curvature of threader 35 is substantially that of the flatter portion of curved plate 18 which forms the floor of the machine. In fact the curvature of plate 13 is influenced largely for its proper cooperation with threader 35. The sharper curvature of plate 18 at the right is used to obtain depth for thepile of plaster 30, and at the same time to ensure that the forward end of threader 35 slides against said plate and remains under rods 11, 12, 13 and 14 when the threader is introduced into the machine. The fact'that threader 35 is normally flatter than the right hand portion of plate 18, requires said threader to be sprung to approximately equal curvature with said portion as said threader is forced into the machine under the rods 11 to 15 inclusive and against the top surface of plate 18. The easing' g off of the curvature of plate 18 toward the left,

permits threader 35 to unbend to its normal curvature as it is advancedto the left along the sur'face'of'plate 18,-resulting in reduced frictional resistance to the further advance of threader 18. 125 The flattening or easing of the curvature of plate 18 toward the left and the increased distance of rods 10 and 11 from the surface of said plate over that of rods 12, 13, 14 and 15 permits of a Wide range in the slope that can be given to the portion of strip 28 between pile of plaster 30 and spool 24, said slope, as explained hereinbefore, controlling the amountof plaster. with which the strip is loaded.

Spool 24 is readily removed by loosening set 135, screw 27, permitting the substitution of spools of other diameters in accordance with the requirements of the operator as to the size of hollow core for. the roll of loaded bandage. 4

While the machine is shown as'being driven by a hand crank 26, it is to be understood that a power drive can be readily substituted therefor.

While the claims specify plaster of Paris, it is ,to be understood that they are intended to cover bandages, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for sending a bandage strip w;

through said plaster, the floor of said receptacle being curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, and a plurality of spaced guide rods under which the strip is caused to pass on its way through the receptacle, said rods being arranged in a curve with the concave side upward, the curvature of said latter curve being greater than that of the corresponding portion of the floor toward that end of the receptacle where the loaded bandage leaves, resulting in a greater distance between said rods and the floor toward said latter end, providing room for the strip to have a wide variation in slope as it leaves the plaster.

2. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for sending a bandage strip through said plaster, the floor of said receptacle being curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, said curvature being greater toward the end of the receptacle where said strip is introduced than where it leaves and a plurality of spaced guide rods under which the strip is caused to pass on its way through the receptacle,

said rods being arranged in a curve with the con-' cave side upward, said rods being closer to the floor where the curvature of the floor is greater than where the curvature of the floor is flatter, causing the maximum amount of plaster to be on top of the strip as it passes through the machine.

3. A machine for making plaster of Paris bandages comprising a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for sending a strip of bandage through said plaster, and adjustably set means having wide limits of adjustability for materially controlling the slope upward of the strip after it leaves the plaster, whereby the heaviness of loading of the strip is controlled.

4. A machine for making plaster of Paris bandages comprising a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for winding a strip of bandage into a roll after it has passed through the receptacle when the latter is charged with plaster, guide means in the receptacle under which the strip is caused to pass on its way to the winding means, and an adjustably set mounting for said winding means for varying the position of said winding means, for controlling the slope up which the strip travels between said uide means and the winding means.

5. A machine for making plaster of Paris bandages comprising a receptacle for holding powdered plaster, an arm rotatably mounted on said receptacle, means for adjustably setting said arm into various positions, a spool, for receiving the bandage when loaded with plaster, rotatably mounted on said arm, means for rotating said spool whereby said strip is wound on said spool pulling said strip throughthe plaster in the receptacle when the latter is charged with plaster and guide means in the receptacle under which the strip is caused to pass on its way to the Spool, the adjustable setting of said arm controlling the relative positions of the spool and guide means for determining the slope up which the strip travels between said guide means and the spool.

6. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, means for winding a bandage strip into a roll after being loaded with plaster, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, the floor of said receptacle being curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, and a plurality of spaced guide rods above the floor under which the strip is caused to pass, the guide rod nearest the winding means being at a greater distance from said floor than the rest of said rods, the rods nearest the floor causing the strip to pass under the maximum amount of plaster, while the greater distance of the rod nearest the winding means provides room for the strip to have a wide variation in slope as it leaves the plaster.

'7. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for sending a bandage strip through said plaster, the floor of said receptacle being easy to slide over and curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, and guiding means in said receptacle under which the strip is caused to pass on its way through the machine, said machine being adapted for use with a flexible threading tool which can be passed I along the floor of the machine and under the guiding means in introducing a bandage strip into the machine.

8. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, a rotatably mounted spool, means for rotating said spool for winding up the bandage strip thereon, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster of Paris, the floor of said receptacle offering but little resistance to sliding over it and being curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, and a plurality of spaced guide rods under which the strip is caused to pass on its way through the plaster, said rods being arranged in a curve with the concave side of the curve upward and relatively close to their uorresponding portions of the floor, said machine being adapted for use with a flexible threading tool which can be passed along the floor of the machine in introducing a bandage strip into the machine.

9. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, means for winding a bandage strip into a roll after being loaded with plaster, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster of Paris, the floor of said receptacle being easy to slide over and curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, and a plurality of spaced guide rods under which the strip is caused to pass, said rods being arranged in a curve with the concave side of the curve upward, said latter curve being substantially parallel to the curve of the corresponding portion of the floor, said machine being adapted for use with a flexible threading tool which can be passed along the floor of the machine in introducing a bandage strip into the machine.

10. In a machine for making plaster of Paris bandages, a receptacle for holding the powdered plaster, means for sending a bandage strip through said plaster, the floor of said receptacle being easy to slide over and curved longitudinally with the concave side of the curve upward, said curvature being greater toward the end of the receptacle where said strip is introduced than where it leaves, said machine being adapted for use with a flexible threading tool which can be passed along the floor of the machine in introducing a bandage strip into the machine.

11. A rotatably mounted spool on which bandage strip is wound, said spool being provided with an opening therein making an angle with the longitudinal axis of the spool and leading from a point to one side of where the strip is wound, out to a point in the surface of the spool underneath where the strip is wound, and a pin removably inserted in said opening passing through said opening into said strip.

JEROME WEISS. 

